The present invention relates to computer hardware, and more specifically, to a port that accommodates a heat sink.
Conventional peripheral component interconnects (PCIs) are common structures used for attaching hardware devices in a computer, such as a server. A PCI chassis typically has several parallel connectors attached to a backplane into which PCI cards are connected. There is a bay associated with each connector where the bulk of the PCI card will reside. To conserve space, each bay is directly adjacent to at least one other bay, which limits the width of the PCI cards.
Some PCI cards can include a connector for connecting a cable that originates outside of the PCI chassis. In some instances, such a cable can be an active cable. Because an active cable can have an electronic circuit in the header of the cable, active cables can have heat sinks that must be accommodated by the PCI card and the PCI chassis.